Is Jesus the Hero of Your Story?

About The Podcast

As an athlete, trainer, coach who heads CrossFit Mayhem’s online programming, and happily married father of four small kids, Jake Lockert has the kind of life, and physique, most men would envy. But he’s struggled with fear and anxiety, too. This week, Jake shares about his challenges, effective parenting, and the intersection of faith and physical fitness.

Show Notes

Additional Resources

Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms by Justin Whitmel Early

Ask Pastor John with John Piper and other podcasts from desiringgod.org

Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer by J. Oswald Sanders

Timestamps

0:00 — Intro/Jake’s work with CrossFit

9:18 — How faith plays a role in the CrossFit organization

13:06 — Jake’s formative years and how he got involved in the fitness world

22:18 — Balancing a demanding career with marriage and family

27:05 — What does redemption mean to you?

31:49 — Jake’s challenges dealing with fear and anxiety

39:43 — The things that leave Jake feeling the most fulfilled

42:06 — What Jake’s learned about setting reasonable goals and being a leader

Discussion

1. Do you keep a fairly regular schedule, in the sense that your spouse and kids know when they can expect you to be around and when they’ll get real quality time with you? If so, what are some techniques you use to stay true to that schedule? If not, what’s the biggest obstacle standing in your way? What could you do to overcome it, or at least find a workaround? Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:13
2. Think back to when you were young—what were some of the things your parents did that made the biggest impression on you? Not just big moments or “trips to Disney,” as Jake describes it, but the little things they did on a consistent basis that made you feel loved and secure? How have those acts shaped you as an adult, a husband, and a father? Have you ever found yourself focusing on the “big moments” as a way of making up for a lack of the little ones? Proverbs 22:6
3. Discuss Jake’s thoughts on redemption, particularly the statement that “We’re not the heroes of the story, Jesus is.” The times that you’ve sought redemption for a sin or shortcoming, have you ever put the emphasis more on yourself and your hardship than on God and His teachings? Were you perhaps hoping for praise and admiration when you finally overcame that sin or failing? If so, did you come away feeling the sense of redemption or fulfillment you were hoping for? Romans 3:24
4. What aspect of your life causes the most fear or anxiety for you? What are the negative thoughts you find yourself having when you think about that part of your life? Do you “catastrophize,” as Jake says he often does, constructing the worst possible outcome in your mind? Or do you find yourself wondering, “What will people think,” living in fear of other people’s opinions or judgment? Philippians 4:6-7
5. When you have fearful or anxious feelings, how easy is it to share those with your male friends? Do you have at least one or two close friends you can open up to without fear of being judged or looked down upon?
6. In what aspect of your life do you find yourself feeling the most envy—your career, your house, your physical appearance, even your romantic relationships? When you feel that envy, what are you usually comparing yourself negatively to? How could you make that idol or seemingly unattainable goal less of a presence in your life?1 Peter 2:1-2